In at least some computed tomograph (CT) imaging system configurations, an x-ray source projects a fan-shaped beam which is collimated to lie within an X-Y plane of a Cartesian coordinate system and generally referred to as the "imaging plane". The x-ray beam passes through the object being imaged, such as a patient. The beam, after being attenuated by the object, impinges upon an array of radiation detectors. The intensity of the attenuated beam radiation received at the detector array is dependent upon the attenuation of the x-ray beam by the object. Each detector element of the array produces a separate electrical signal that is a measurement of the beam attenuation at the detector location. The attenuation measurements from all the detectors are acquired separately to produce a transmission profile.
In known third generation CT systems, the x-ray source and the detector array are rotated with a gantry within the imaging plane and around the object to be imaged so that the angle at which the x-ray beam intersects the object constantly changes. X-ray sources typically include x-ray tubes, which emit the x-ray beam at a focal spot. X-ray detectors typically include a collimator for collimating x-ray beams received at the detector, a scintillator adjacent the collimator, and photodiodes adjacent the scintillator.
Multislice CT systems are used to obtain data for an increased number of slices during a scan. Known multislice systems typically include detectors generally known as 3-D detectors. With such 3-D detectors, a plurality of detector elements form separate channels.
Each detector module of the 3-D detector array has several times more output signals than known 1-D detector modules. The output lines of 1-D modules typically are connected to the CT system data acquisition system (DAS) using a pin connector or a printed wiring board mechanically connected to the DAS backplane. However, as the number of output lines becomes larger, so does the size of the array of the pin connector. As a result of the insertion force required with the larger pin connector array, the DAS backplane may be damaged.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a connector apparatus that eliminates the need to mechanically couple a large pin connector array to the DAS backplane. It would also be desirable to provide such a connector apparatus that connects a high density of low level analog output lines to the DAS backplane.